1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to positive displacement fluid pumps.
More particularly, this invention relates to a positive displacement liquid pump with integral fuel regulating means which is actuated solely by a source of vibration. The pump housing is so mounted to be within vibratory range of a source of vibration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many positive displacement pumps within the state of the art, all of which are actuated either mechanically or through a directly connected source of pulsating pressure.
All of these prior art devices are disadvantaged in that the pumps must be either mechanically or directly connected through a hose or conduit means to a pump-driving source, whether it be a reciprocating engine or an electric motor. Either way, the pump drains off power and energy from its driving source.
The present invention requires no physical attachment whatsoever either through mechanically actuatable rods or hose connections to actuate the pump. Hence there is positively no power drain or loss of efficiency to associated equipment. The invention is actuated by the oscillatory action of a source of vibration which drives a free-stroking weight or mass within a cylinder back and forth, thereby actuating a pair of coacting one-way valves to draw in and expel liquid through the pump. The sole actuating means is a source of vibration, the pump being axially aligned with the propogating direction of the oscillatory motion set up by the source of vibration. For example, an operating two-cycle engine secured to an engine mount vibrates and sets up oscillating motion through the torque generated by the engine. The pump then, when mounted to the firewall of the engine, is subject to oscillatory, vibrational motion. The vibration alone is sufficient to drive the weight mass within the pump axially back and forth, thus supplying, for example, fuel to a carburetor of an engine.
An example of the state of the art technology readily available in the Patent and Trademark Office is U.S. Pat. No. 2,572,977. This invention describes a piston within a housing with an inlet valve on one end of the housing, a valve in the hollow piston and a third valve at the exit end of the housing. The valve in the inlet end of the housing cooperates with the valve in the piston. As the piston moves away from the inlet end of the housing, fluid is drawn into the inlet end and, as the piston moves toward the inlet end, fluid is driven through the one-way valve within the piston to fill a chamber on the exit end of the piston. As the piston oscillates toward the exit end of the housing, fluid is driven out of the third valve which allows fluid to escape through the valve and out of the pumping device. This invention is disadvantaged in that it is directly connected to an oscillatory power source which mechanically links the pumping device to the power source and the power source is a sole motivational means for oscillating the piston mass within the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,162 describes a piston which is frictionally engaged with a cylinder wall and, as the piston oscillates between the inlet and exit end of a housing, a pair of coacting valves pass fluid through the pump. The invention is disadvantaged in that there is wear and friction involved between the piston and the cylinder wall of the housing of the state of the art pump. The positive displacement pumps described in both of the foregoing patents will eventually become inefficient as the pistons wear.